Zheng Zha silently walked past the middle-aged strongman. The uniform worn by this man indicated the rank of Major. As the two brushed shoulders, an undeniable layer of goosebumps rose on Zheng Zha’s skin. Several seconds after they had passed, when he looked back, the Major had already turned the corner of the corridor.

(…They must be part of the other team too… A powerful feeling.) Zheng Zha silently imprinted the middle-aged man's appearance into his memory, then turned and continued down the corridor. After turning a few more corners, the door to the Bio-Dissection Lab finally appeared before him.

After brushing past Zheng Zha, the middle-aged strongman was also drenched in sweat. He hurried further down the corridor, and after rounding several more bends, he leaned against the cold wall, completely soaked in cold sweat. His hands trembling, he pulled a pack of cigarettes from his chest pocket, then shakily used a lighter to ignite one.

“Hoo… Is Hoffield an idiot? How dare he provoke someone so strong? That man’s power is terrifying… Just brushing past him felt like walking past the honed edge of an axe. It felt like he could kill me with a single punch…” The Major chain-smoked the cigarette down to the filter in just a few drags.

He then forcefully clenched his fist, turned, and headed toward the shuttle bay of the starship. He had originally been with Neos and the others, but when they learned Zheng Zha was arriving on Rose’s starship via shuttle, Neos immediately dispatched their team’s strongest member, the middle-aged strongman Richard Robias, to meet Zheng Zha on the vessel.

Strong individuals often sense one another. Although Zheng Zha had displayed terrifying power in that previous battle, according to Neos’s analysis, it was merely Zheng Zha exerting his utmost effort for maximum effect; his true strength was not as overwhelming as it seemed. Richard’s assignment was simply to prove that Zheng Zha’s power was not as great as imagined.

Neos and the others placed unquestioning trust in Richard’s abilities; thus, this encounter was also intended as a deterrent—a show of force aimed at the Central Continent team.

But reality is often stranger and more abrupt than imagination. The deterrent effect Neos hoped to achieve failed to materialize; instead, their team’s most trusted powerhouse was the one thoroughly unnerved.

(He must have also developed a self-created skill, definitely… I just wonder if his self-created skill is much stronger than my ‘Berserker’…) Zheng Zha had now reached the entrance of the Bio-Dissection Lab.

This dissection facility could, in truth, be renamed the Insect Dissection Lab. Since the war between humanity and the insects began, ninety-nine percent of the subjects dissected here had been insects. The remaining one percent were soldiers killed by strange bugs. Indeed, as soon as Zheng Zha stepped inside, he saw the corpses of over a dozen ground crawlers lined up against the wall. He was even astonished to see the complete head of a fire-spitting insect preserved there.

Inside the room, a young man and woman were chatting cheerfully. When Zheng Zha walked in from outside the door, the two exchanged a look, and the man immediately approached with a smile. “Hello, may I ask what brings you here?” Zheng Zha scratched the back of his head. He was somewhat perplexed as to why Chu Xuan had sent him here, especially since this person might be crucial to Chu Xuan’s hidden plans. After a moment’s thought, he decided to act according to his instincts: say what needed to be said and do what needed to be done. He looked toward the woman and said, “Hello. I am Zheng Zha, captain of the Central Continent team. Are you Rose from the Southern Flame team?”

Rose was a classic mixed-race Black beauty, possessing healthy brown-black skin, soft, beautiful long hair, and top-tier looks. However, she seemed slightly distant. But the moment Zheng Zha uttered the words "Southern Flame team," the expressions of both her and the man shifted, and they appeared ready to draw weapons from their waists or pockets.

Zheng Zha quickly spoke up. “I have no intention of fighting you right now. Please, do not make any hostile moves. Otherwise, I will kill you before you can even attack… The only reason I came here is to meet all of you…” As soon as Zheng Zha said this, he realized how awkward it sounded. What did he mean by wanting to meet everyone when they were clearly antagonists, likely to clash at any moment? Could he really expect them to sit down for a cordial chat? The man stared deeply at Zheng Zha. “Neither of us wishes to be involved in team warfare. If you have intentions, go fight amongst yourselves. As long as you don’t provoke us, we will absolutely not do anything detrimental to the Central Continent team.”

Rose immediately tugged at the man’s sleeve, then turned to Zheng Zha with a smile. “This is Manini, my boyfriend. You are Zheng Zha? Heh, just as Manini said, we don't want to interfere with team battles. But please, don't assume you can bully us just because we prefer neutrality. Although we avoid large-scale conflict, we don't fear any attack or challenge. Our fighting style is rather unique; while our raw combat strength might not be high, we are certainly capable of dragging a few powerhouses down to die with us, heh. You don't think I’m joking, do you?” Zheng Zha gazed intently at the mixed-race beauty and nodded. “No, I imagine you have seen the recordings of my fights with your team members. And you don't look panicked seeing me now, so I believe you are telling the truth… What I’m curious about is something else. Why aren't you worried about being executed by the Main God? Remember, the death of one team member incurs a penalty of one point, which is minus 2,000 reward points. Wouldn't such a deduction result in your elimination? Even if you have a large surplus of points, when our two teams clash, can you guarantee that your score won't dip into the negative?”

The young man chuckled. He also appeared to be mixed-race, though his lineage seemed closer to Caucasian. He pulled out three chairs, leaving one empty. He then guided Rose to sit with him on one of the remaining chairs. Manini smiled and began, “This is intelligence we gathered in the horror film worlds. How about it? Although our two teams are still technically hostile, since the three of us have no desire for combat, why don’t we exchange the intelligence we possess?” Zheng Zha found himself feeling favorably toward the pair for three reasons: he sensed no killing intent from them; their frankness felt strangely familiar; and he was somewhat wary of the hidden abilities they possessed. Combining these factors, he calmly sat down and looked openly at them.

Manini smiled. “We have actually been members of the Southern Flame team for a very long time. I unlocked the first stage of the Gene Lock during the second horror film after our previous captain… Our former captain, after gaining the qualifications recognized by the Guide, chose to abandon us and defect to the Celestial Gods Reincarnation Squad. We were then forced to undergo the next selection for Guide qualifications. However, since the first captain hadn't died in the Celestial Gods squad, the second captain only possessed the ‘Main God’ information query authority; he hadn't unlocked the second stage of the Gene Lock, nor was he asked if he wished to join the Celestial Gods squad. In short, after being betrayed by our first captain, the Southern Flame team’s strength has remained severely stunted.”

Rose took the opportunity to bring over three cups of instant coffee. She handed one to Zheng Zha. “This coffee isn't poisoned, so drink up if you’re worried…” With that, she sipped her own coffee lightly.

Manini patted Rose’s small hand with a hint of fond indulgence, then continued. “But we were quite lucky; we encountered several relatively low-difficulty horror film worlds, including the Middle-earth series. Do you know that one? That was our first experience with a team battle. Fortunately, the other side was in a similar situation—their captain had also gone to the Celestial Gods squad, and their strength had declined significantly. So, after making contact, we maintained peaceful relations and completed that horror film world together, earning substantial reward points and sub-plot numbers… We were even luckier when, while accompanying Gandalf and the others through the Dwarven underground passages, we managed to engineer the death of the Balrog. As a result, we each received a Rune Stone from Gandalf. This stone is a plot item; it’s rumored that this stone is what allowed Gandalf the Grey to survive his fall from the cliff and return as Gandalf the White. Its function grants us three instances where we won’t be wiped out by the ‘Main God’s’ negative points. This current mission might be the first time we use it.”

Zheng Zha listened, momentarily stunned. This information was incredibly valuable; the effect of this plot item could save an entire team in many situations. Furthermore, they had revealed exactly how they obtained it and which horror film it came from. He took several deep breaths before speaking to them. “You are giving me such vital information. Don't you think you’re losing out? That information is practically priceless…” Manini waved his hand dismissively. “It doesn’t matter. If we die, the information is useless anyway. We can see that your team must have endured far more perilous journeys through the horror film worlds than we have. Your strength should far surpass ours. Therefore, we two have no intention of fighting you. How about we exchange this information for our freedom?” Zheng Zha nodded. “We won't be fighting each other; I can authorize that decision myself. However, I must trade information of equal value for what you just shared… Er, do you know The Mummy? Have you experienced the Mummy series of horror films?” Jump to